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National News By George E. Curry NNPA Editor-in-Chief BIRMINGHAM, Ala. [NNPA] – After he com- pletes his campaign for more diversity in Silicon Valley, Jesse Jackson plans to expand the pressure on technology companies in other regions of the country and then go after other sec- tors of private industry, including financial services, banking and advertising. In an interview after speaking at the annual con- vention of the Southern Christian Leadership Con- ference (SCLC) here, the Atlanta-based civil rights organization co-founded by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that gave birth to Jackson’s Operation PUSH and Rain- bow PUSH, the civil rights leader was already eyeing other targets. to deal with that because they have 2 percent or 3 per- cent minority employment across the board,” Jackson told the NNPA News Serv- ice. When Jackson first announced his Silicon Val- ley initiative at his Wall Street Project in New York, it was not known if he would follow through, as he has done in other campaigns in the past, or move on to other issues, which he has also done with equal fre- quency. He lamented on the lack of Black board representa- tion at Google or Facebook and said he would challenge the absence of people of color. “One of the myths is that it’s [technology] is so sophisticated that we can’t do it,” Jackson said. “First of all, 70 percent of all of ‘Technology is supposed to be about inclusion, but sadly, patterns of exclusion remains the order of the day’ “As I looked at every- body’s fight for who can make the smallest govern- ment, I thought about our being basically a govern- ment-created middle class – policemen, firemen, teach- ers. As you cut down on the civil service jobs, those jobs disappear. Where are the growth industries? Silicon Valley for starters, the auto- motive industry next, banking next – the whole private sector. You fish where the fish are.” Jackson said getting high tech companies to disclose their employment data, EEO-1 forms that large companies must file with the federal government, was a major victory. “We asked for their EEO- 1 reports, but most of the big companies didn’t want Please Recycle Your Newspaper the jobs in Silicon Valley do not require high tech skills – lawyers, ad agencies, mar- keting, social services or engineering, though we can do that, too.” He added, “When you look at Facebook’s board, the only engineer on its board is Mark Zuckerberg, its founder. Don Graham [former publisher of the Washington Post] is not an engineer. [Former White House chief of staff] Ersk- ine Bowles is not an engineer yet he sits on the board. It’s just a tight, White circle.” In March, Jackson sent a letter to 20 companies, including Apple, Twitter, Facebook, Hewlett Packard, Google, and eBay saying, “Technology is supposed to be about inclusion, but sadly, patterns of exclusion remains the order of the day. When it comes to African Americans on Boards – ZERO. C-suites, ZERO. Minority firms in IPOs and financial transactions, advertising and professional services – ZERO. These ZEROES are contrary to the enlightened values exposed by the industry. Rainbow PUSH is seeking meetings with tech leaders to address these ZEROES head on.” When Jackson met with companies, most initially resisted disclosing their employment data. “Those companies all filed a lawsuit in court and won – they won the right not to expose their EEO records,” he said. “Their rationale was that if they tell their numbers, they would be giving up propriety infor- mation.” Before going on attack, Jackson did what he always does when he targets a com- pany – he purchased stock so that he could take his case to shareholders at their annual meeting. Then, one by one, the companies began disclosing employ- ment data. • eBay (61 percent White; 24 percent Asian; 5 per- cent Latino; 2 percent Black) • Google (61 percent White; 30 percent Asian; 3 percent Hispanic and 2 percent Black) • Facebook (57 percent White; 34 percent Asian; 4 percent Hispanic and 2 percent Black) Twitter resisted until Jack- son used Twitter and ColorofChange.org to launch an on-line petition drive demanding that Twit- ter reveal its employment data. Ironically, Blacks over index on Twitter (26 per- cent), according to a Pew Research Center study, fol- lowed by Hispanics (19 percent) and Whites (14 percent). Twitter finally disclosed Ella’s Kitchen formerly Soup & Soap SOUL FOOD ...one taste will bring you back. NNPA PHOTO BY ANN RAGLAND Jesse Jackson Expands Silicon Valley Initiative Jesse Jackson at SCLC 2014 convention in Birmingham, Ala. its data on July 23, showing: 59 percent of its staff in the U.S. is made up of Whites; 29 percent Asian; 3 percent Hispanic and 2 percent Black. On the day Jackson addressed SCLC, Apple released its employment data showing 54 percent of its jobs were held by Whites, 23 percent by Asian, 11 percent Hispanic and 7 percent Black. Its employment of people of color appears to be highest among high tech compa- nies. “We have not demanded two-way trade and our gov- ernment has not volunteered to initiate it,” Jackson said. “By now, the EEOC should be holding hearings. It’s so public that they are violat- ing equal employment standards.” He continued, “We feel diminished by corporate power. If we could fight the government, surely we can fight a corporation. This is just the first step with Sili- con Valley. The next steps are for ad agencies, market- ing, NNPA, Black lawyers – the whole range of things we do.” Placing an Ad in is as easy as Challenging People to Shape a Better Future Now HOME NEWS COMMUNITY OPINION ENTERTAINMENT ADS SOCIAL MEDIA FOUNDATION E-PRINT CONTACT MEDIA KIT JOBS 1 Go to: www.TheSkanner.com BIDS REAL ESTATE AUTOS FOR SALE 2 Select “Place PLACE CLASSIFIED ADS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS Classified Ads and Announcements” 3 Click on the category Obituary of your choice for our quick and easy online form BREAKFAST • LUNCH SPECIALS DINNER • SEAFOOD • DESSERT “Finally!! I found a great cozy soul food spot in Portland” “Something about Ella’s catfish is magical” “The mac and cheese was real mac and cheese like momma used to (or should’ve made)” OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK, 9 AM - 6 PM 3505 N Mississippi Ave, Portland, OR 503-927-6708 Job, Bid, Legal Notice, and Sub Bid Wedding Announcement Real Estate Auto Ad add 25¢ for each to go meal August 27, 2014 The Portland and Seattle Skanner Page 9
